Brothers
by Andi-iRock
Summary: Everybody knows the hardcore Dixons, Merle and Daryl, but what if they were not the only surviving Dixon brothers? How would these new brothers have changed the storyline if they were there fighting off the dead beside Merle and Daryl? 2 OCs, Rated M for the Dixons manners. No pairings as of right now, but who knows what could happen!


**AUTHORS NOTE! Ok, so the only 2 things I own in this story are my characters Trigger and Rebel, and actually the name Rebel is from another story (I seriously can't remember which) The author had written the name Rebel, I fell in love with it, and stole it in the black of the night while wearing a poorly created ski mask (see Boondock Saints 1, and look at Rocco's mask for reference!) hopped in my ice cream ghettoway truck and have sine forced it to be my dancing monkey for reviews! So if you used this name…well yea…THANKS! Lol Lemme know what yall think of this idea! Happy reading!**

* * *

"Aww hell woman! Makin' them tin beans 'gain?!" Merle Dixon bellowed for all of the camp to hear in the hills and quarry. He was standing over a tall, skinny woman who, for all intensive purposes looked more annoyed that scared of the man towering over her, while she stirred a big pot of several tinned beans.

"Well bring me something else to cook you, and Ill be happy to get it going." She said calmly clapping her hands together. She looked back up at the man who glared pure venomous death at her for even thinking to talk back. His right fist clenched and un clenched but his jaw remained welded shut. Finally, he let out a shaky laugh, and pointed a finger down at her.

"You got yourself a mouth, Ill gi' you that." He turned his head looking towards where he and his younger brother Daryl were set up away from the other Atlanta survivors. "Word a advice? You bes' watch it when your talkin' ta ol' Merle." And with that he turned on his heel, and stomped back over to where he saw said brother emerging from their shared tent. He said something quietly to his brother through what could be seen as clenched teether, before throwing the flap of their tent to one side and quickly disappearing from sight. Daryl looked over at her before shouldering his crossbow and disappearing into the woods.

Lori let out a sigh she hadn't known she had been holding in til she no longer had to deal with a Dixon in her presence.

"You alright?" A strong voice called to her from her right side. Lori turned to see Shane coming out of the RV, Dale following close behind before he began climbing up the ladder to take his watch. Shane made his way over to her before looking around to see what the commotion had been about, even though he could clearly hear Merle yelling something about beans.

"'m fine. If he wants something else so badly, he can make a run into the city himself." Lori huffed, throwing a glare to tent that occupied the eldest Dixon.

"Yea, you and I both know though that he'd only bring back for him and Daryl. Prolly expect you to cook it though." Lori snorted, and continued to poke at the beans, determining they didn't need much longer. It was a good thing too, everybody from around the camp kept gazing in her direction, and it was starting to get on her nerves.

Speaking of cooking, think you can rig something up for the meat daryl been bringing back, boiling it just isn't doing it, I know Morales knows how to grill it, we just need something sturdy to put over the fire." Shane scratched his chin, while looking around the camp with a calculating look in his eye before looking back at her.

"Im sure me and Dale can come up with something with all the spare parts he has. Gotta tell you, grilled meat sounds like heaven right now, no offense to your gourmet beans." With a lingering grin, Shane started to walk away, but stopped short when he felt something light hit his back. He turned around slowly, and saw a lone towel laying on the ground by his boots with a softly chuckling Lori looking a little too innocent. "Think you dropped something." He called over to her, while bending down and picking up the towel, and tossing it lightly so that it landed next to her, and not on her head where he would have liked to throw it to get a good laugh. He turned on his heel again and walked a fraction of a bit faster so he she wouldn't have time to throw something else again.

* * *

Daryl walked back into the camp a few hours later with 3 rabbits and a few squirrels dangling from a tied rope he had thrown over his shoulder. He knew everybody would be waiting for the meat he had brought back from his latest hunt, so with a huff, he walked over to where he saw his older brother lounging inside their tent with his head hanging out from the opening, staring at the sky.

"'ey Darleena, you're blockin' my sun!" Merle snorted, and let his head loll to the side, with a shit eating grin on his face. Again Daryl sighed, his brother was plastered six ways to sunday, and would be no help with skinning the rodents he had dropped next to his head. Without giving into his brothers nickname for him, Daryl instead took a seat on a log near their fire, and began his tiring work of skinning all the animals in the pile. "'scuse me waiter! I need a refreshment, Im parched!" Merle let out a howl of laughter, rolling over on one side, but letting it die down when he saw his brother wasn't taking the bait, and ignoring him. Pushing himself off the tent floor Merle stumbled over to where his brother was sitting. "You ignorin' me baby brother?" Merle asked, dropping himself unceremoniously onto the same log as Daryl, picking up a rabbit skin and examining it. Daryl just grunted and continued his work on the last remaining squirrel before he was to hand them off to Lori to start cooking for everybody. "I don' speak whinein, so out with it boy!" Merle barked.

"You said you would quite." That was all Daryl said without looking up from the bloody squirrel in his hands.

"Christ, not this again." Merle let his head drop into his hands, while he raked his fingers through his closely cropped hair. "Worl' gone ta shit, now I got you on my ass?"

"Not on nothin' you just made a promise is all." Dropping the last of the meat into a bucket, Daryl got up from his brother and began to walk past him, slowing long enough to ask, "You do remember that promise to them, don't you?" Snapping his head up, Merle caught the hurt look in Daryl's eyes before he could mask it.

Truth was, Merles heart did clench at the sudden mention of "them", Merle and Daryls younger brothers they left behind in Atlanta. Rubbing his head again, Merle went back into their tent, and dropped down on his sleeping bag. He had left his bag of coke thrown next to his pillow, and picking it up, he put a generous amount of it on his hand. Staring down at the small pile of white dust, he thought about the promise he had made. No more drugs. It was small, but at the time it had meant so much, and that made his heart clench again. He knew it would disappoint his brothers, but that was easier to swallow right now than the thought of not knowing what their fate had been. Merle brought the powder to his nose and inhaled deeply, and laid down on his side of the tent. He had successfully gone almost 24 hours without thinking of "them", he figured he could try again tomorrow.


End file.
